HARRISBURG, S.D. – Two people died and another person was seriously injured Wednesday when a pickup collided with a train near Harrisburg.
Names of the four people involved have not yet been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information indicates that a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup was westbound on 274th Street, west of the intersection with 476th Avenue, when the driver did not yield at a railroad crossing. The pickup collided with a southbound BNSF train.
Two female passengers in the pickup, ages 45 and 12, were pronounced dead at the scene. The 44-year-old male driver sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital.
The 43-year-old male operator of the train was not injured.
Seatbelt use of those involved is under investigation. Charges are pending against the pickup driver.
South Dakota’s Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.